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Originally launched in the midst of 2020, BeReal, a new social media platform that encourages users to be their true self; to “be real”, has since gained popularity amongst the student body.  

Unlike other social media platforms such as Instagram and Facebook, where users carefully curate their public image, BeReal offers users a chance to show their authentic self in the day to day world.  Once a day, at a randomly selected time, a notification alerts users “It’s time to BeReal.”  

Someone usually shouts “BeReal went off!” and everyone scurries to locate their phone.  Users then rush to take their BeReal before the two-minute timer reaches zero.  If they take too long, it’s considered “late” and “not real.”

“It’s very fun because there’s a new picture everyday,” Samara Ruano, 11, said. “I’m excited, and I try to get my friends in them.  I think it’s very popular because it’s different, like you never know when it’s going to go off.”

One of the twists about BeReal is that it takes a picture from both ends of the camera.  It will take a picture from the back facing camera, then will take one from the forward facing camera, creating a double picture that shows the whereabouts of the user.

“It’s funny to see what people are doing,” Cam Penn, 12, said.

“I love BeReal, and if you save it for hours, then you’re not actually being real.” Ruby Stumph, 9, said.

Despite the craze over Be Real, many students also find the app to be anything but real.

“I think that it used to be fun during the summer, but now it just seems like everyone waits [to post],” Kate Grilliot, 12, said.  “During the summer I did it right on time, but now if I know I’m about to go do something I’m like ‘let me just wait.’”

“It’s annoying, because every time it goes off I’m doing the same three things, and it makes me feel like everyone can see that I do nothing,” Gabriella Gouyer, 12 explained.

“It comes at the most inconvenient times,” Ellie Pippenger, 12, explains. “Yesterday, I had a rowing competition and the Be Real went off while I was racing.”

“It’s pointless, and it got old really quick,” Colby Martin, 9, said. “No one even does it anymore.  People just wait.”